1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to satellite antennas for transmitting and receiving radio and television signals to and from satellites located in a geosynchronous orbit around the earth. More particularly, the invention relates to an adjustable bracket mount for securely, accurately and removably positioning the feed horn and low noise amplifier, or the feed assembly components of the satellite antenna at the prime focus, or the point toward which the satellite dish reflects and concentrates the signals, and protecting the feed assembly from the weather. A primary feature of the invention is the versatile nature of the adjustable bracket mount and the feed horn bracket component of the adjustable bracket mount, which facilitate positioning of the feed horn and low noise amplifier at various distance from the center of a variety of selected antenna dishes in order to locate the feed assembly precisely at the prime focus of the antenna. Another important feature of the adjustable bracket mount of this invention is the stability of the bracket, which is designed to securely and positively, yet removably mount the feed horn and low noise amplifier with minimum vibration in a precise location with respect to the prime focus of the antenna. Still another important feature of the adjustable bracket mount is a dual design of the feed horn bracket, which is configured to receive feed horns of different design and to mount a cover shaped to protect the feed assembly from the elements.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various mounting brackets and systems for securing the feed horn and low noise amplifier or feed assembly to the dish of a satellite antenna at the prime focus of the antenna are known in the art. Typical of these devices is the commonly used four-leg mount and the tripod mount, the latter of which is illustrated in FIG. 1 of applicant's drawing and is labeled "PRIOR ART". The tripod and four-leg mechanical supports suffer from the disadvantage of requiring three or four mounting points on the satellite dish, which points of attachment must be carefully chosen in order to ensure that the necessary feed assembly components of the antenna, which are secured to the apex of the pyramid formed by the three or four bracket legs, are located at the prime focus of the antenna. Furthermore, supports having legs of different lengths for each selected antenna dish of a different size are required, since the prime focus is different for satellite antennas of varying size and dish configuration.
Other mounting brackets and assemblies such as the single-leg mount, are also known in the art. The single-leg mount consists of a single rod or tube extending outwardly at an angle from the antenna dish to the prime focus, with the attitude angle chosen such that the feed assembly is mounted at the prime focus. Brackets of this design are difficult to mount securely such that the feed horn and low noise amplifier are free from undesirable vibration, which blurs the television image. A variation of the single-leg support or mount is the mount support which is offset by a double bend from a point of attachment to the dish, in order to locate the top of the bracket and the antenna feed assembly at the prime focus of the satellite antenna.
General purpose mounting brackets for such items as lamps, musical instruments, umbrellas and other devices are also known in the art. Typical of these mounts is the "Adjustable Lamp" disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 1,511,630, dated Oct. 14, 1924, to M. Ozlek. The Ozlek "Adjustable Lamp" includes a central vertically-oriented lamp stand with a horizontal bracket member slidably positioned on the lamp stand and an auxiliary arm carried by the horizontal bracket member, with a lamp provided on one end of the auxiliary arm. Adjustment of the lamp in any direction is facilitated by operation of the bracket in cooperation with a mount knuckle carrying the extending auxiliary arm. A "Supporting Member" is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 1,149,762, dated Aug. 10, 1915, to F. F. Hendrickson. This device includes a vertically-oriented central support or rod and a block slidably engaging the rod, with a thumbscrew for securing the block to the rod at a selected height and a horizontally disposed rod extending through the block for carrying a musical instrument such as a cymbal. U.S. Pat. No. 462,265, dated Nov. 3, 1891, to B. F. Mason, discloses a "Vehicle Seat Attachment" which includes a vertically oriented arm having a longitudinal slot therein, a cooperating second arm also slotted and secured to the first arm by means of a bolt and wing nut, with a third slotted arm further secured to the second arm by means of a bolt and wing nut combination and designed to carry the handle of an umbrella. The multiple slot, wing nut and bolt combination facilitates adjustment of the umbrella in a variety of positions with respect to the base arm support member. A similar device styled "Universal Clamp" is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 551,358, dated Dec. 17, 1895, to A. O. Benecke. This invention discloses a vertically oriented rod support having a horizontal bracket attached thereto in slidable relationship with a second vertical support carrying a light bulb extending through the bracket. U.S. Pat. No. 4,142,190, dated Feb. 27, 1979, to John L. Kerr discloses a parabolic reflector which is fed by a microstrip antenna supported at the point of focus by a tube which is aligned along the focal axis of the reflector.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a new and improved adjustable bracket mount for supporting the feed horn and low noise amplifier in a wide variety of satellite antennas, which bracket mount is stable, relatively free of vibration and is designed to locate the feed assembly components at the prime focus of these antennas and to protect the feed assembly components from the weather.
Another object of this invention is to provide an adjustable bracket mount for securely and positively, yet adjustably and removably supporting and protecting certain functional antenna components such as the feed assembly, at the prime focus or other desired location above the antenna dish in satellite antennas of various size and design.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved adjustable bracket mount for mounting on the dish of a satellite antenna and securely, yet adjustably, supporting the antenna feed assembly at the prime focus of the antenna, which bracket mount is characterized by a base secured to the antenna dish, an offset bracket adjustably carried at one end by a bottom support slidably and rotatably mounted in the base, the offset bracket adjustably supporting a top support at the opposite end and a feed horn bracket having optional outwardly extending arms adjustably attached to the top support and designed to receive feed assembly components and precisely locate these components at the prime focus of the antenna, the feed horn bracket further adapted to receive and mount a cover for protecting the feed assembly components from the weather.
A still further object of the invention is to provide an adjustable bracket mount for locating an antenna feed assembly at the prime focus of a satellite antenna and protecting the feed assembly from the weather, which bracket mount includes a base secured to the antenna dish; a bottom support slidably and rotatably extending from the base toward the prime focus; a sloped offset bracket having one end rotatably and slidably carried by the bottom support, with the opposite end of the bracket rotatably and slidably attached to a top support, which top support is parallel to and offset above the bottom support; and a feed horn bracket having extending fingers and optional outwardly-extending finger extensions projecting from the fingers, with upward standing flanges for mounting and receiving a protective cover, the feed horn bracket rotatably and slidably carried by the top support and spaced from the offset bracket to facilitate positioning of the feed assembly at various prime focus locations in a wide variety of satellite antennas of various design and size.
Still another object of the invention is to provide an adjustable bracket mount for supporting the feed assembly in a satellite antenna, which bracket mount includes a feed horn bracket having mount apertures and extending fingers with optional projecting finger extensions for receiving feed horn assemblies of various design and for mounting a cover on the feed horn bracket to protect the feed horn.